Mass Effect Betrayal Act 1- Shepards Revenge

Chapter 2

Sol System, Earth, London, United Kingdom, Alliance Headquarters.

Admiral Steven Hackett has been called in today on his day off for something very important. For about 4 hours, he has been trying to make heads or tails of what happened 6 hours ago on a classified planet. The compound managed to send a scrambled video file before it went up in smoke. Three people took down an interbase full of N7 operatives, as if the operatives were green recruits fresh out of basic training.

He recognizes one operative's fighting style and the use of the sniper rifle. It's a telltale sign of an old friend of his, but it's not him. It's his daughter. The male is another warrior he thinks he knows, Gibson. The other female, their leader from what he could tell by this video, puzzles him. The way she leads her team and works without hesitation, there is only one person he knows who can match her. He knows she will not help the Alliance. Hackett keeps playing the video over and over again. A simple 2-minute file out of the hour and a half they were in the base, and every time he plays it, he can't shake the feeling he knows the leader. Her leadership style is so familiar.

Then he spots it. When the leader is struck by the sniper round and removes her helmet, a few seconds before the video becomes static, he sees her green eyes. Hoping this may be enough.

"Magnify," Hackett orders the computer as the picture of the leader's eyes becomes as large as his screen will allow, but the picture is too hazy to be of any use.

"Clarify," Hackett orders again as the computer attempts to render the video again. This time it's much cleaner and usable.

"Identify," he orders one last time. As the computer tries to find the person of interest, Hackett's door opens to one of his colleagues in the navy.

"I take it you have heard, then?" asks Hackett's colleague. Hackett's only response is a nod. "Who do you think it is, Steve?" he asks. Hackett just moves back into his chair.

"One of them is known as Aubree Lehner. She is the daughter of an old friend, Michael Lehner, who went rogue a few years ago. Aubree was only 15 when he went rogue, both are master snipers," answers Hackett, as the VI is still searching the database. "All I know of the male is that his name is Jack Gibson. I need to look in our database," he states. The computer has narrowed its search down to 10 possible matches. "The leader...there is only one person in this galaxy who can possibly match her, and I know for a fact she will not help the Alliance."

"And why not, Steve? If she is loyal to the Alliance, then she will help us. By the way, whom are you talking about?"

"Shepard. After what the Alliance did to her, I'm surprised she has not gone insane..." answers Hackett. The results come back with one possible match at 99.99% accuracy. His worst fears are confirmed. "Speak of the devil..."

"What is it...?"

"Remember what I just said, that there is only one person who can match this leader...I am right," answers Hackett. He spins the holo screen around so his friend can see. On the screen is the face of Commander Jane Shepard, Former N7, Specter, deemed KIA.

"My god, why would she do this...it makes no sense?"

"On the contrary, it makes perfect sense," answers Hackett as he turns the screen back to look at the picture then at the video and plays it again. Now he understands. Everything matches; the fighting style and leadership style. "Get me the Prime Minister and Primarch Victis, along with Commander Williams," Hackett orders. His friend nods and leaves him. Hackett stares at the picture of Shepard. He knows why she is acting this way, but he never knew she could ever do this. Shepard has turned against the Alliance. Commander Shepard has gone rogue.

Aboard the SSV Enterprise, QEC:

"That was good work, Shepard," the Phoenix Director states as Shepard walks into the room.

"Good to know you are not the Illusive Man. I never met him in person till the end," Shepard answers as she leans on the QEC console. She eyes the Quarian, at first surprised to find her out of her environmental suit. More importantly, she was raised by the Illusive Man and Cerberus since she was four. Her parents were killed by the Turian Blackwatch.

"I try not to be. It's hard not to be when you are raised by him," the director answers.

"So, what was in the data we got?" Shepard asks as she eyes the director.

"Just what we thought they were doing. You know the Galactic community is using Reaper tech to advance our engines and weapons," the director asks as Shepard straightens up.

"Yes, I do director. Why do you ask?" Shepard seems stunned.

"The one thing the Alliance has that the rest don't: the Reaper known as Harbinger."

"Why are they using Harbinger? They have other Reapers they could use."

"That is true, but we noticed that Harbinger tech is much more advanced than we could barely remotely guess from the rest."

"What about the people he has killed? Using him goes against everything we stand for," Shepard raises her voice.

"And you wonder why the Alliance wants you dead and out of the way? I think you just found out, Shepard. The way you just acted supports that theory," the Director says through her black respirator mask.

"The way I'm acting! If they had just told me, I would have been more understanding. Maybe I would not be doing what I'm doing. If they had just given me the life I should have had, I would be supporting this. But I gave them everything, and I was betrayed in the end; just so they could keep their pathetic power," Shepard speaks as she once again leans on the QEC console. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

"Yes, you're right about that, Shepard. I need you to go to Mars in the Sol System," orders the director.

"Why Mars?" Shepard asks, appearing confused.

"To look for something. I need you to look for the Reaper shell. But I don't just want you to blow it up," explains the director. Shepard is about to speak but is interrupted by the director. "I know what I promised you, but where I'm sending you is in the middle of the city. Any explosion will destroy the city and kill innocents. However, I don't need the N7s alive."

"Very well, director... Is the AI plugged in now?"

"Not yet, he will be within the hour," answers the director.

"'He' I thought it would have used a female personality?"

"We thought so too, but the blue box we used changed that. 'DAN' should be up soon," answers the director.

"DAN?"

"Defense Array Network," the Director clarifies as she starts to walk out of the QEC, leaving Shepard to think over all that has happened in the past few minutes.

"Katherine, I am sending you a data package. Along with a com number. And a short message. I want you to send it," Shepard orders and uses her Omni-tool to send her message to a close friend.

"Yes, Ma'am, sending now," answers her helmsman.

"Good work, Katherine," Shepard comments as she closes the intercom. 'You won't take this from me, Harbinger. You have taken enough from me,' Shepard tells herself as she makes her way to her cabin.